In a crowded home with ten children in a small village lives a hopeful 33-year-old mother. Neang dreams of a brighter future for her children, husband, and elderly mother. She envisions a life free of financial debts, education for all of her children, and a sustainable income for her large family. Despite the family’s challenges, these dreams have continued to bind Neang and her husband together, strengthening their perseverance and hope for a safer future.
Unfortunately, rather than spending their days in school, many of Neang’s children find themselves ill due to malnourishment. Neang often finds herself borrowing money from community members for food and medicine despite knowing that she cannot pay them back anytime soon. With so many family members to care for, Neang and her husband will give up their meals, so their children have enough to eat.
A False Promise
In November 2022, things looked like they were turning around for the better. A visitor of the village told Neang’s cousin of a sugarcane field where they could work for an income and live an easier life. After borrowing money for travel, Neang and her husband quickly packed up all they could and left as soon as possible.
Unable to see anything but darkness ahead they journeyed across the border to Thailand thinking their dreams were finally in reach. For two days they worked, received payment, and lived well. Things were looking brighter, until they quickly took a turn for the worse. It was not long until their job had everyone working overtime and sometimes receiving no payment or food. Their drinking water was dirty, and they were constantly on alert for giant pythons in the area. If they needed food, they had to borrow money from their boss; this same boss who threatened to either make them pay a large sum of money or shoot them if they were caught running away.
Neang and her family had no choice but to plan an escape in the middle of the night. Despite being separated at times while fleeing, they were able to reunite and make their escape. As they ran across the cane field, Naeng tried to comfort her crying children. She was desperate to calm her two-month-old baby so they would not be found. Eventually, they stumbled upon a policeman at a train station that shared food with them and deported them to Cambodia through the International Border.
Hope and New Beginnings
Naeng’s story is sadly not uncommon. Knowing the harmful labor trafficking for many Cambodian men, women and children who migrate in search of employment, Samaritan’s Purse established a Migrant Access Centre. This Centre seeks to assist migrants and disrupt this harmful trafficking cycle that Naeng and her family found themselves trapped in.
Naeng and her family arrived at the Center where Samaritan’s Purse staff were waiting to provide psychosocial first aid support, contraceptive education, food and home supplies, and a job at a construction site for her and her husband. They stayed at this shelter for five days where they received the support and care they deserved.
Naeng and her family are now living a life that closely resembles the dreams she held so dearly for her and her family. With her children in school learning to read and write, and a sustainable household income, they can establish new dreams. While Samaritan’s Purse met them along the way, it was the hopeful tenacity of both Naeng and her husband and the grace of God that carried her family to the Migrant Access Centre and to the life they live today.